4yr with high cholesterol

[hopesmommy]

I need help with how to handle my 4yr DD having high cholesterol. The doc is not too worried. She said to increase her fiber, increase her exercise, and reduce her fat intake. Doc said they would retest her in a year. DD is NOT at all overweight. She eats all kinds of veggie...broccoli, lima beans, peas, asparagus, and all the normal veggies. She loves fruit. The only two she does not eat are spinich and watermellon. She does not eat much meat and when she does it is low fat. I do not fry much food (DH has high cholesterol and high blood pressure) and if I do it is in very little olive oil. She eats oatmeal and other whole grain cereals. She does not eat many french fries or potatoes. She does eat crackers (goldfish). I have started giving her Wheat Thins. She does not eat much candy. I already use whole grain breads and pasta. The one area I know I should cut out is mac n' cheese, but sometimes this is all she will eat.

As for exercise, she is in school three times a week and they have outside play time and gross motor class. She also does gymnastics all year. During the summer, we enroll her in swim class and ballet. She rides her bike, plays at the park and runs all around. I would not know how to increase a 4yr old's exercise! (At least without killing me )

If anyone has any information that could help, please let me know. I am concerned because DH high cholesterol and my dad's heart problems with high cholesterol.

Thank you in advance!

[goldcupmom]

Don't worry about it!

My family has a history of High Cholesterol....VERY HIGH!!! My DSis runs in the 500's on meds. Hers was over 800 and she had no pulse below the waist at age 40 and again at 54. My mom's ran in the mid 400s for her entire life, on meds, and lived to over 83 w/o incident.

My 3 kids all have/had high. Both DS were about 240 until puberty, then it dropped to about the 150/160. DD was 237 when tested at age 6 and has remained until age 13(3 yrs past puberty) when it dropped to 145.

My kids & their cousins, have been studied, poked, prodded and followed and no one has a clue why it is high and then drops. They are all very active. DS was a gymnast and worked out 25+ hours /wk from age 7.

Just keep an eye on it periodically and let her be a normal kid.
This too shall pass...... :flower3:

[hopesmommy]

Thank you for your support! Did you change/monitor your kids diet and exercise? I mean really she is only 4 and I am still working on getting her TO eat. We have days that she barely eats anything.

[Tiger Lily 03]

If your doc is not worried, I'd say not to worry. My DS (21 soon!) had high when he was that age. Docs said to take note of all the hydrogenated stuff in his diet and remove those fatty things some and not to stress. They would recheck. There is a situation where something is genetic, but that would be dealt with as growing up occurs. He didn't need it and all worked out ok.

Those little fish crackers do have a lot of hydrogenated stuff. Docs, said to switch to Vinalla cookies instead. Your child is young and actually needs some of those fats that we don't. She is still growing. Just keep her active as kids should be and have fun in her growing years.

Doc told us to keep offering balance and as they needed their bodies would take the nutrition and not to push too much with things. Little ones are picky for quite a long time, keep trying, don't force and enjoy your young family!